


Just Like Magic

by K_K_TiBal



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic Tricks, Valentine's Day Fluff, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 19:58:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6391159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_K_TiBal/pseuds/K_K_TiBal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU where it's Valentine's Day an Dean just really sucks at magic tricks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like Magic

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally posting all of my tumblr ficlets to AO3 so if you've read this before, bear with me ;)  
> [Tumblr link](http://thebloggerbloggerfun.tumblr.com/post/136994568036/is-this-your-card-castiel-watched-as-dean)

“Is this your card?”

Castiel watched as Dean Winchester dramatically flipped over a face card and displayed it with a flourish to a hopeful Lisa Braeden.

“Uh… no,” she murmured, her face falling into disappointment.

Dean, however, continued the routine with a smile on his face, even after he made three more incorrect guesses. He might have been absolutely terrible at every magic trick he ever tried, but at least he had enthusiasm about it.

“Strike out?” Castiel asked as Dean finally sat down next to him in homeroom and began shuffling his cards.

Dean shook his head. “Nah, I wasn’t really trying. I just wanted to try the trick on someone that hadn’t seen it yet.”

Castiel smiled and propped his head up on his hand. “It looked like you nearly had it that time.”

“I know!” Dean grinned, right before a card flew out of the deck and smacked him in the face.

As terrible as Dean was at his various card tricks, Castiel couldn’t help but find it incredibly endearing. The way his face would light up when someone lied out of pity and claimed the unfamiliar card was their own was too cute for words. Especially when such escapades were coming from his seventeen year old best friend.

Their classroom was decorated with a sickening explosion of pink and red hearts that only grew more and more obvious the closer they got to Valentine’s day. Today, a few streamers had been added, as well as a cut-out of a caricature heart in a top hat.

“Any plans for Valentine’s day, Cas?”

Castiel whipped back around to pay attention to Dean, and almost immediately blushed. “W-what? No. Of course not. You know I don’t believe–it’s a ridiculous holiday just designed to stimulate the economy.” He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck as Dean continued to shuffle his cards.

“Such a romantic, you are.” Dean said sarcastically.

“What about you?” Castiel shot back. “Are you saying that you’ve got Valentine’s day plans?”

Oh God, he hoped not.

“I dunno.” Dean stuck the stray card back into his pile, and licked his lips. “Might be fun to actually participate this year. Go all out with the sugar cookies and candy hearts and chocolates–”

“So you just want the food?”

“Essentially, yes.”

Castiel rolled his eyes as his gut started to twist into knots. “Is that all, then?”

Dean shrugged. “Hey, remember how we used to make cards in elementary school?”

Yes, he did. There had been a time where Dean had a crush on Cassie Robinson in the third grade and Castiel had spent two hours designing the perfect card with Dean so that he could give it to her.

He was a little vague on the details, but he was fairly sure Cassie had punched Dean in the nose.

“Of course. You’re not considering passing out cards are you?” he asked curiously.

Dean tapped his deck against the table a few times. “I dunno. Might be fun.”

The bell let out a shrill tone and Dean stuffed his pack of cards into the front pocket of his jeans. “Talk to you tomorrow, Cas! I’ve got a new trick I read about that I wanna try on you.”

He sighed and waved as Dean bounded out of the classroom.

Valentine’s Day was in two days and Castiel still hadn’t decided if he wanted to risk it all or not.

It wasn’t that he particularly liked the idea of Valentine’s day; it was just convenient, and….he didn’t know. It just seemed like it might be a good time to try and let Dean in on his feelings, even if it was a little cliche.

But if it went badly then their entire friendship was at risk, and that was the last thing that he wanted.

***

“Dean, I have recently found out that a close friend of mine has feelings for me.”

Castiel waited patiently as Dean apparently choked on the milk he’d been drinking at the time of the revelation.

“W-what?” Dean spluttered, wiping at his mouth.

Was it really that unbelievable?

“Yes. It was a piece of information that was revealed to me not too long ago. Now I’m not sure I know how to react and I would like to know what you would do in my situation.”

The plan was flawless. He’d ask Dean for advice on this hypothetical scenario and see what Dean would do in his shoes. That ought to give him a good baseline to tell whether or not he could reveal his feelings.

“Well I don’t–who is it?” Dean’s face was turning an odd pink color, probably from choking on the milk. “Anyone I know?”

Castiel shrugged at an attempt to be casual. “I would like to keep them anonymous for now. But any advice you can offer would be great.”

“I mean…it’s really up to you, Cas.” Dean had turned his attention back down to his food and was picking at his sandwich. “It’s always–you might want to give them a chance…even if it seems–I don’t know–if you think they might not…I mean, I would give almost anyone a chance just on principle–”

“You would?” Castiel asked, perking up hopefully.

“Sure. Why not? Life’s short. Or whatever the hell they say.” Dean took a large bite of his sandwich and stuck it back on his plate before quickly standing. “Sorry, Cas. I gotta go. I forgot that I still…have to…. practice a card trick. Talk to you later.”

“Alright,” Castiel murmured as Dean hurried away to turn in his food tray and leave the cafeteria.

***

It was was finally Valentine’s day, and Castiel had disgraced himself by making an absolutely corny Valentine’s day card complete with a heart on the front. He’d sealed it up in a red envelope and written Dean in a flourish. It wasn’t much, but it looked like any sappy card and inside he’d written a short note.

Dear Dean,

I don’t know if this is a good idea, but I thought I’d let you know that I adore you. Truly and deeply adore everything you do. Even your card tricks. I have for a long time now. Do with this information what you will, but I hope it won’t ruin what we already have.

Yours always,

Castiel

Short and sweet. Got right to the point.

Now all he had to do was give it to Dean.

Walking into homeroom felt like he was walking into hell. Castiel’s hands were shaking and his heart was pounding as he took a step into the decorated classroom. Dean was already there, showing off yet another bad card trick to Bela, who was clapping politely with a smile on her face that looked like it wasn’t the card trick she was interested in. Dean took a low bow with that dumb grin on his face that always managed to make Castiel’s heart skip a few beats.

What if–what if he never got to see that smile again? What if Dean was so disgusted that he never talked to him again?

Wasn’t it worth not saying anything just to keep that possibility from ever happening?

Castiel dropped the card into the trashcan by his side and left the room.

***

There was a spot on the bleachers that got infinitely more sunlight than the rest of stadium, and because of that, what should have been cool metal was always warmer than everywhere else.

Dean had been the one to show him it, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to hear him calling out his name after hiding there for ten minutes.

“Hey, why weren’t you in homeroom?” Dean asked when he’d finally made it all the way to the top of the bleachers.

Castiel shrugged. “Wasn’t really feeling up to it, I guess.”

“Well you’re in luck,” Dean smiled as he pulled out his deck of cards again. “Time to try out that new trick!”

Castiel sighed but was always willing to be one of Dean’s guinea pigs for his horrible magic tricks.

Dean fanned the deck of cards out with a single swoop, much nicer than Castiel had witnessed him do in the past. Perhaps he was actually improving.

“Okay. Pick a card, any card,” Dean said.

At random, Castiel tugged a card out of the deck and inspected it. Once he saw that it was the King of Hearts, he tucked it back into the pile and Dean began shuffling.

So far there didn’t seem to be anything new about this trick. He’d seen Dean attempt it many times before without much success.

Dean did something behind his back before pulling out a three of diamonds and gesturing to it dramatically. “Is this your card?”

Castiel smiled sympathetically and shook his head. “Nope.”

The card was tucked behind Dean’s back again and another card was pulled out.

“Is this your card?”

Jack of clubs.

“No. Sorry.”

Dean held up a finger and put on a face of intense concentration as he shuffled a few more things around behind his back.

“Is this your card?”

In his hand was Castiel’s bright red Valentine’s day card, with Dean’s name printed in fancy letters.

Castiel’s eyes went wide as he made a desperate grab for the card, even though somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was too late. Dean must have already read it and his fate was sealed.

“Dean! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have–it was just a–”

“Cas, if you say that it was just a joke I’m gonna be a little hurt.” Dean scrunched his face into a pitiful pout. “Or a lot hurt. Probably a lot hurt.”

Castiel froze, not even daring to breath as Dean’s other hand brought out a pink card with Castiel written on the front in a messy font that was very distinctly Dean.

“Before you say anything…I made you this yesterday.” Dean was chewing on his lip, the first sign of his nervousness beginning to show as he set it on Castiel’s lap.

Castiel picked it up with trembling hands and opened it delicately, as if he was afraid that if moved too suddenly, all of this would disappear in an instant.

Hey Cas,

I know you hate Valentine’s day and think it’s stupid but I figured I might as well go for this.

I like you.

A lot.

But I’m not good with words and stuff so if you have any questions just like…ask.

Dean

And inside the card, right next to the scribbled confession… was Castiel’s King of Hearts.

“Pretty cool, right? The–the magic trick worked and everything.” Dean was smiling in what looked like an attempt to cover up his nerves. “But if you’re like…going to give that other person a chance, I understand. It’s fine and I–”

“Dean, no.” Castiel smiled and shook his head. “I was just trying to decide if it was a good idea to tell you.”

Dean leaned his head back and laughed in relief. “Alright. That’s…that’s good. Great.”

Castiel stared at the cards for a few more moments before and cleared his throat. “I have a question.”

“Yeah?” Dean said hesitantly, leaning in closer.

Castiel leaned forward and pressed a small, chaste kiss to Dean’s lips before pulling away and gauging the reaction carefully.

Dean blinked a few times as he stared back at Castiel. “That was a question?”

“Yes?”

“Well in that case, let me give you a very thorough answer.”

And it was just like magic.


End file.
